Monday, July 25th 2011

Oí Família!!!

Remember how last week I told you all about the wonderful blessing that fell from the sky? We baptized that woman and her daughter, remember? Well the Lord has not ceased His blessings upon us and he put another person in out pathway this week. Last Sunday there was a 12 year-old girl who went to Church with her friends and guess what happened? She fell in love with the Church! On Tuesday, a member passed by us and told us that they had a family night on Monday and invited this girl to come. The family night´s theme was, can you guess? BAPTISM! The girl got super excited and said that she wanted to be baptized that very week! We came over to her house and started to teach her. I asked her, "Roberta, what are some of the things that we cannot do once we are baptized?" She started off, "You can´t drink coffee, tea, alcohol, can´t smoke, can´t use drugs, and have to wait until you´re 16 to date." My companion and I sat there with our mouths wide open and we asked if she was willing to do all that and she said YES before we could finish the question. She comes from a very sad situation. Her parents are both drug addicts and alcoholics and because of that, all of her brothers and sisters are, too. She knew that all that stuff was horrible and she has been looking for a Church to join to help her stay on the right path. At Church she offers to say the prayers when even the older members are still too shy. At her baptism on Saturday, all of the youth from the stake were there to watch and right after she danced in the presentation that she had been practicing. When I saw her after we confirmed her on Sunday, I saw a little girl who will be eternally blessed by her decision to be baptized. I truly love this work.

We painted a member´s house this week as well and I officially don´t have any more clean normal clothes. All of my regular clothes that I brought from home are all dirty from all the service projects we´ve been doing. From building houses to painting walls I have ruined pretty much them all, but I wouldn´t have it any other way. My companion asked me if I was upset that I got my jeans all covered in paint, and I told him, "No, I brought them for this purpose."

I am in a member´s house today and we are going to make brownies! We are getting the recipe from the internet because brownies don´t exist in Brazil. I know... sad story. We are going to have a blast! I love love love the mission and I am so happy for all the things that I am learning. Just about everyday I am finding something that needs to be improved about my attitude, my personality, my bad habits, my testimony and many other things. I know that the mission is converting me more than it is converting these people. I love you all and hope you all have a great and fabulous week!

Elder Clark

p.s. send me pictures of everyone! it´s been almost 9 months since I have pictures of you all and what you´re all doing. I am starting to forget what you all look like! haha Love you all!